Oregano oil supplementation over different production phases of grow-out and effects on broiler chicken breast meat yield, physicochemical traits, and quality

Introduction Mexican oregano essential oil (OEO) has been shown to improve the breast meat quality of broilers when supplemented for 42 days. However, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of OEO supplementation during different grow-out phases on meat yield, physicochemical traits, and sensory quality of broiler breast meat. Methods The experiment considered three production phases (starter, 1-2 wk; grower, 3-4 wk; and finisher, 5-6 wk) to establish five treatments: OEO0, control diet without OEO (0 mg/kg); OEO12, diet with 100 mg/kg of OEO only in weeks 1 and 2; OEO34, diet with 100 mg/kg of OEO only in weeks 3 and 4; and OEO56, diet with 100 mg/kg of OEO only in weeks 5 and 6; and OEO16, diet with 100 mg/kg of OEO from weeks 1 to 6. Results and Discussion OEO supplementation significantly affected (p < 0.05) hot carcass yield and pH of the chicken breasts. Cooking loss was lower in OEO56. OEO0 resulted in the highest (p < 0.05) values for yellowness, saturation, and tonality, whereas these traits were lowest in OEO16. All OEO treatments (OEO12, OEO34, OEO56, and OEO16) increased (p < 0.05) shear force in chicken breast meat. Meat from OEO34 was the softest. OEO12 showed the lowest (p < 0.05) scores for juiciness and softness (p < 0.05), while OEO56 improved (p < 0.05) both attributes. These findings suggest that dietary inclusion of OEO at 100 mg/kg during the grower or finishing phases may be a suitable strategy to enhance processing yield, physicochemical properties, and sensory quality of broiler chicken breast meat.